WARRINGTON Wolves fell to their first loss of the season with a narrow 26-24 defeat at Hull.
The game swung both ways until Curtis Naughton scored the decisive try on 74 minutes to end Warrington’s winning run at seven.
Prior to the game, Tony Smith bemoaned the Easter schedule but at the break Warrington held a 10 point advantage against a side who fought back from 20-0 to beat Hull KR on Friday.
After Hull hit the front through a converted Marc Sneyd score, Chris Sandow was in sparkling form and he linked up with Ben Currie to create the Warrington’s opening try for Ryan Atkins on 18 minutes.
Winger Tom Lineham then grabbed the first of two tries against his former club, taking a quick tap from a penalty 10 metres out to dart over and put the Wolves 10-6 to the good.
Jamie Shaul levelled the scores with a try in the corner, before a quickfire double in the last four minutes of the half gave Warrington a two score advantage.
First Kevin Penny went over in the corner on 36 minutes before a solo effort from Sandow made it 20-10 at the break.
Hull started positively in the second half although it took 16 minutes for them to break through, Naughton scoring down the left, converted by Sneyd for 20-16.
Two minutes later they hit the front as Sneyd converted Kirk Yeaman’s try.
The topsy-turvy encounter continued as Lineham scored in the corner with 13 minutes left, though Stefan Ratchford failed to convert, with Warrington managing just two successful goals from five attempts in the match.
It proved to be their last score, and after Hull forced a repeat set, Naughton grabbed the telling try.
There was still time for Ben Currie to be held up over the line, but it wasn’t to be for the Wolves, who tasted defeat for the first time this season.
The impressive Chris Sandow celebrates a stunning try – PICTURES EDDIE WHITHAM
For a gallery of more than 40 pictures by Eddie Whitham CLICK HERE
